The staggering paychecks in China’s entertainment industry are making headlines.
As K-content continues to gain popularity, many Korean actors and singers are expanding their horizons abroad under the banner of Hallyu (Korean Wave). Recently, several Hallyu stars have shared insights into the immense scale of Chinese appearance fees, drawing significant attention.
Actresses Lee Da Hae and Choo Ja Hyun previously revealed, “You can easily earn 10 billion KRW (approx 7.7 million USD) for 4-5 hours of live streaming in China,” and “What they say about getting paid 100 million KRW (approx 77,000 USD) per episode is true. I’ve received that much before,” respectively.
Actress Go Joon Hee, who recently addressed rumors involving the Burning Sun scandal, spoke about her experiences in China on the web show. She said, “After starring in ‘She Was Pretty,’ I shot over 20 commercials and also filmed a drama in China.” When the host asked, “Is it true that Chinese drama fees are about ten times higher?” the actress confirmed, “Yes, but the system is different, like in Hollywood. Instead of per-episode fees, they pay daily rates.”
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Actress Hong Soo Ah also opened up about her career in China. She said, “With my previous look, I was only offered supporting roles like the main character’s sister or friend. I wanted to play deeper, more complex roles but felt limited.” She received advice that double eyelid surgery would better suit Chinese projects and decided to go through with it. “I had no choice but to accept the suggestion. I wanted to do it, and besides, there weren’t any roles in Korea,” she added.
When asked if Chinese appearance fees were indeed ten times higher than in Korea, she affirmed, “Yes. The working conditions are tougher, but actors have set hours and contracts. If the time is up, you leave, even if the shoot isn’t finished.”
Yubin of Wonder Girls also shared her experience performing in China, marveling at the scale of the events. “When we get off the plane, each member has their own car, and we all get suite rooms. Fireworks go off every 10 seconds while we sing,” she said. When asked about the pay, Yubin responded without hesitation, “It’s about ten times more.”
Singer The One, who participated in Singer, the Chinese version of I Am a Singer, also confirmed the massive scale of Chinese appearance fees. “It’s up to 10 times more,” he said, hinting at the lucrative opportunities in Chinese entertainment.
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